Improvement in buckles



gotten glans getint @Hina `EARL A. SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

Laim Para# No. 61,477, dated January 22, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUCKLES.

TOY ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EARL A. SMITH, of the city of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles for Ladies Skirts, Ste.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction, character, and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings, which make part 'of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the obverse side of the buckle, when complete, with the standing part of the Ystrap or webbing attached.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the reverse side of the same, showing the form of the hinge.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the reverse side of the lever or tongue part, with the long lips of the female or socket part of the hinge open.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bow or frame part, showing' the curved or concave partA or space into which the vibrating edge of the lever part presses the running part of the webbing when closed.

Figure 5 is a section of the buckle cut across in the direction of the line x, tig. 1, showing the position of the two parts of the Webbingwhen buckled, as when in use for any purpose. l

v My improvement consists in making the buckle of two parts, the bow or frame part of wire, with its front bar. made longitudinally concave or bevelled, to form a recess or slope, and the lever or tongue part of sheet v metal cut and swaged, or struck up to its proper shape, so that the rear bar mayform the socket or female part of the joint or hinge, the centre bar t'o receive the standing part of the webbing, and the'front bar suited to press therunning part of the webbing into the longitudinal concave surface, or against `the bevelled surface of the front bar of the bow or frame'pnrt. I make the* bow or frame part-of one piece of wire, bent and swaged to, substantially, the shape shown in g. 4, especially swaging the front bar to a bevelled form, or the concave forni represented at A, tig. 4, in cross-section in iig. -5, and indicated in fig. 1, so that the front bar or vibrating edge of the levcr'part may press the running part of the webbing D, iig. 5, into it or against it, so as to hold it rmly without slipping. I make the lever ontongue part of one piece of sheet metal by vcutting and swaging, or striking up, substantially in the shape shown in iig. 3, andl indicated lin figs. 1 and 5, so that the rear bar, B, may, by its lips, servef-to form the female portion or socket of the binge, as shown at B, figs. 1, 2, and 5, the centre bar, a, to have the standing part, C, figs.- 1 and 5, of the 'webbing attached to it, so that the strain on the part C willvmaterially assist in pressing down the front edgefb, of the lever on the running part, D, of the webbing.

Having made the parts in the sha-pe and conditionbefore described, I place the rear bar, c, of the bow part, iig. 4, between the lips or edges, B, g. 3, and close or set them down over it, as shown at B, figs. 1, 2, and 5, so as to form a complete binge, when the buckle will be complete'. Or this soeket'B may be formed of but one lip, by making the lip long enoungh topass entirely round the rear bar c of the frame part, iig. 4.

To use this buckle I attach the standing part, C, of the webbing to the middle bar a of the lever part, as shown in figs. 1 and 5, and pass the running part, D, of the webbing up between the bars A and b, 'when the strain on'the standing part C will draw down the edge b so as to press the running part D into the concave or against the bevelled surface ofv the bar A, as shown in section in iig. 5, and firmly hold it from slipping back, while ift may be easily and readily drawn furthei= through if desired.

I am aware that a patent has been issued to D. S. Thompson for a buckle having a bar across or to strengthen the tongue part', but in that oase he uses points on the tongue to hold the-strap from slipping; butI do not claim or use any device where points on thetongue are'needed to hold the strap; but what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the bowpart, iig. 4, with the lever part, fig. 3, when they are constructed, connected,

and fitted for use, substantially as hel-ein described and set forth.

EARL A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

R. FITZGERALD, A. L. TRAIN. 

